Walnut Shortbread

walnut shortbread w/ peach jam

Did I mention that it’s overcast here? It’s June. According to twitter, the last time it rained in San Francisco during June was in the 1930s. Crazy. My neighbor kid called it June-uary. How funny is that? She also let me try on 12 of her Silly Bandz yesterday. But that’s besides the point. I’m just irritated that I can’t get started with the outdoor cocktail-ing yet. Instead, I spent yesterday indoors baking and cleaning up my garage…dreaming about cold beer with lime & shrimp tacos.

hello jam

To taste a bit of summer, I decided to open a jar of the Early Peach Marmalade from Blue Chair Fruit yesterday afternoon but we had no bread in the house. Instead of smearing it on warm buttered toast, I decided to make this walnut shortbread because, why not?  The little Martha Stewart recipe card has been sitting on my kitchen counter for months now and I had all of the ingredients…serendipity!

So…Walnut Shortbread. What’s not to like? Buttery, crispy, slightly nutty (wishing for a few nutty chunks!) but very delicate and perfect for preserves. Fantastic snack or breakfast for an overcast day with hot tea. Amazing with peach marmalade. AH-MAZING. If the weather would cooperate, I’d pack a few squares & some jam for makeshift picnic in the park or maybe layer some in an fluffy apricot parfait? But today I plan on crushing some up and adding it to my Greek yogurt with honey and fresh raspberries. That’s just how I roll. Summer, I’ll see you soon.

And we’re off!

Get your ingredients together. Toast some walnuts.

ingredients

Put the walnuts in a mini food processor.

walnut mixing

MIX!

walnut meal

Mix the walnut meal with the flour & salt. Get your butter, vanilla & powdered sugar ready.

getting ready

Cream it with a hand mixer! Now add the dry ingredients and incorporate.

creaming butter

Toss dough into a lubed cake pan.

dough

Push down the dough with saran wrap. Even it out.

pushing in

Cut into sections & poke with a stick.

walnutshortbread (5)

Bake & then let cool. Dust powdered sugar on top.

poke poke poke

Here’s a cup of tea, a slice of shortbread, a fake daisy & some overcast weather with some moody lighting.

walnut shortbread

And here’s a slice with that crazy good jam on top….

walnut shortbread w/ peach jam

With a little toasted walnut to boot.

Walnut Shortbread

Makes 8

(recipe from Martha Stewart Magazine)

  • 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
  • 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar, plus more for dusting
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Pulse walnuts in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer to a bowl, and whisk in flour and salt.

Beat butter, sugar, and vanilla until pale and fluffy. Slowly add walnut mixture, and beat until just combined.

Butter an 8-inch round cake pan. Transfer dough to pan.

Place a piece of plastic wrap on dough, and use it to press the dough evenly into pan (this will prevent the dough from sticking to your fingers). Cut dough into 8 wedges using a paring knife. Prick all over with a wooden skewer or fork.

Bake until golden brown and firm in center, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack. Recut into wedges and prick again. Let cool slightly. Dust with confectioners’ sugar.

  • Megan

    This looks really good. And those preserves are so pretty!

  • Katrina

    Mmmmm so tasty looking! Love this!

  • maggie may

    yummm droooll!!!

  • Victoria

    I’m thinking this is the first time I’ve posted a comment here. I only just found out about you through the Joy the Baker podcast. Which is great….I love what you bring to the “show”! 🙂

    Today, right now, I’m going to get in my kitchen and whip up a batch of this shortbread. Sorry to hear your weather has been crummy. Our summer only just came, this time last week, I was still bundling up just to go outside.

    I guess all of this serves as a reminder that God is limitless and we are limited! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOgILKFF1bE

    • Tracy

      Thanks for stopping by, Victoria! I shouldn’t complain…summer doesn’t officially start til the end of June, huh? Lemme know how the shortbread goes!!

  • Keri

    I think this recipe might be what I take to my friends Tie Dye Brunch this weekend!

    I’m from RI and our weather has been very annoying…one day it will be 55 and raining and then BOOM the next day it will be 94 degrees and humid. I need to buy a pair of those pants that you can rip the legs off of and they instantly become shorts HAHA

  • Amy @ Serve at Once

    Oh my…the buttery goodness has gotta be off the chain.

    And as for your San Fran weather? My winter-phile (that suffix…just made that word sound so wrong) self sweltering in 100 degree Nashville temps envies you.

  • Kasey

    I feel your pain, sister. Even though it’s no longer raining, every summer I tell myself I will move to warmer shores. Alas, come September, I thank my lucky stars I live in SF 🙂 Love the cake-like slices of this shortbread!

  • Christopher E P

    Hi There,

    Just wanted to drop by and say keep up the great work on your site.

    Thanks,

    Christopher E P

  • radhi

    this was the perfect end to our sunday supper… soooooo delicious while sipping on a strawberry-infused vodka cocktail. and thanks for all your lovely recipes! they make me excited to be in the kitchen! ps- the podcasts are so fantastic & warm & cozy.

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  • Jessica

    This looks delicious and is so simple! I wish I could send the unending supply of Texas heat (and sun) to you, though I’m not there right now. In exchange, I would gladly accept a piece of this shortbread with some of that yummy marmalade. 🙂

    • Tracy

      Haha! I wish you could too…although it’s HOT here now. I can’t wait for the fog to roll in….

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